Development of a miniature, hyperspectral imaging digital camera

A program to develop a highly integrated, cost effective hyperspectral digital snapshot camera is proposed. This camera will be able to collect 3-D hyperspectral image cubes in the visible to near IR bands (VNIR) with only the aid of a laptop computer. Communication from the computer to the camera will be through a High-Speed USB 2.0 link. The entire system will be able to operate on either AC power or batteries making it completely mobile. Minimization of the packaging is obtained by having a fully integrated subsystem instead of a collage of individual components. Expensive third party components will not be used and instead, these key components will be developed/manufactured in-house to reduce cost. The application software will be easy to use with a very rich assortment of capabilities. The software will be modeled after popular off-the-shelf image processing software so that new users will have some familiarity with the software interface from the very beginning. The proposed effort represents an extension of Surface Optics' many years of experience in hyperspectral imaging design. Surface Optics' unsurpassed capability (and commitment) in engineering, algorithm development, and manufacturing will guarantee a quality product.